Super Bowl 53: The Jet Press staff predicts this year’s winner

Ahead of Sunday’s big game, The Jet Press staff is here to bring you our predictions for Super Bowl 53. Who did each of us predict to emerge victorious?

The “Big Game,” “Super Sunday,” or just the “Super Bowl.” Whatever you want to call it, Sunday will mark the 53rd edition of such an event and although the New York Jets will not be participating, that doesn’t mean we won’t be watching.

This year’s game is set to be a matchup for the ages pitting the super-dynasty, been-there-done-that New England Patriots team against the upstart, innovative, and some might say fortunate Los Angeles Rams.

It’s a battle of the old versus the new. The established versus the unproven. And the evil empire versus the youthful underdogs. So much is at stake not only from a football standpoint but in terms of legacy.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick could win their sixth Super Bowl ring together cementing themselves as perhaps the greatest dynasty in football history. Or Jared Goff and Sean McVay could come out on top winning their first of potentially many and taking down the big, bad Patriots once and for all.

With that, we asked our team here at The Jet Press to give their takes on who they think will emerge victorious as champions of the world. Let’s take a look at what everyone said.

Justin Fried, Co-Expert

The Patriots are back in this year’s Super Bowl and that’s about as surprising as a Cody Parkey field goal attempt hitting the uprights.

In all seriousness, it is absolutely incredible that year after year the Patriots find a way to return to the Super Bowl despite better teams seemingly all around them. On paper, New England wasn’t even one of the top two teams in the AFC and yet here they are. They defeated a well-rounded Los Angeles Chargers team and held off the immensely talented Kansas City Chiefs.

Call it luck, call it clutchness, or maybe call it a combination of the two. Either way, they’re back and it’s hard to bet against them.

The Rams are the more talented team for all intents and purposes. They are the only team in the NFL with both a top-five rushing and passing attack and their total offensive rank is second behind just the Chiefs. The team has talent upon talent at every facet of the roster with superstar playmakers at almost every position.

But in recent weeks they have looked beatable.

They suffered two embarrassing losses late in the season to the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles and barely squeaked by both the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints in the postseason. They’re still uber-talented, but they’re not the dominant Rams of earlier in the season. Or at least they haven’t played like it.

At the end of the day, it’s foolish to pick against Brady in the Patriots in the Super Bowl. As much as it might hurt to say, expect the big, bad dynasty of New England to continue come Sunday.

Final Prediction: Patriots 34, Rams 27

Next: Genna Preston

Genna Preston, Co-Expert

This Sunday’s Super Bowl is not the one I had hoped for; I wanted the New Orleans Saints versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Yet, we are watching another New England Patriots Super Bowl. Something has got to give!

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have appeared in nine Super Bowls together with five wins and three losses. The Los Angeles Rams will put a stop to the “Brady Bunch” dynasty in the 2019 Super Bowl.

The success has to start with Todd Gurley. Gurley had the most rushing and scrimmage touchdowns in the league for the past two seasons. The Rams are also undefeated when Gurley gets 15 or more carries per game.

The Rams defense has also stepped up their game. In the playoffs, they held their opponents to less than 50 rushing yards. Ndamukong Suh, Dante Fowler, and Aaron Donald are three strong, focused defensive linemen that probably can’t wait to get their hands on the “GOAT.”

I can see both offenses playing ping-pong back and forth. It will be up to the Rams defense to bring home the win.

Final Prediction: Rams 31, Patriots 27

Next: Joe Bonomo

Joe Bonomo, Contributor

It has all come full circle for the Patriots dynasty. What started as an improbable run capped off by an Adam Vinatieri game-winning kick, has now spanned 18 years. Tom Brady has solidified his name in football history and what better way to top it all off than to beat the team he beat in his first Super Bowl?

The Rams have been one of the favorites to win it all since training camp so it is no surprise to see them in the big game. Their offense has been potent, ranking in the top two in both scoring and total yards. Appearing unstoppable at times, it is hard to envision that changing come Sunday.

The Patriots defense has been good at limiting points, but they ranked near the bottom third of the league in yards allowed. It will be interesting to see if they can limit the Rams ability to score in the red zone. However, I do not think it will be up to them as Todd Gurley will have the final say in this one.

This was supposed to be the year the Patriots fell off, but they kept coming back. In what would be the perfect end to a nearly 20-year run as contenders, the Patriots will be going home disappointed on Sunday. The Rams are going to bring us back to the days of “The Greatest Show on Turf.”  Los Angeles will win this one, despite an attempt at some late-game heroics by Mr. Brady.

Final Prediction: Rams 38, Patriots 31

Next: James Cunningham

James Cunningham, Contributor

Super Bowl 53 will be a good one as two teams with powerhouse offenses, two very good defenses, and two very good coaches will square off. This one will be a battle of the ages, literally. And as much as it hurts to say, I think the older bunch will come out on top.

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The Patriots will take down the Rams in the Super Bowl for the second time in the past decade, and it will be in a similar fashion. It will come down to the wire, with the Pats winning by just seven points by a final score of 38-31.

Bill Belichick’s experience will give him the upper hand against Sean McVay’s Rams. This is just any other game for Belichick. Meanwhile, McVay is coaching to try and stop a quarterback that’s almost a decade older than him.

The Super Bowl MVP will be a rookie running back Sony Michel. The Rams’ defensive line is dangerous, especially with a 41-year-old quarterback in the pocket. The Pats will have to keep the Rams’ defense honest with the run, and Michel will be their go-to-guy in the backfield.

Final Prediction: Patriots 38, Rams 31

Next: Chris Stephano

Chris Stephano, Contributor

The Patriots are on the decline. Tom Brady is aging and slipping. Rob Gronkowski is on the verge of retirement.

Don’t believe the noise. Despite the underwhelming (by Patriots standards) 11-5 regular season record, the Patriots remain a force to be reckoned with.

Pundits predicted that the Chargers had a chance against New England and then the Patriots silenced their critics by putting up 41 points against them. The Chiefs were predicted to win and then the Patriots and their incredibly efficient offense (13/19 on third down) again found a way to pull off a victory.

At this point, don’t ever bet against the Patriots. Unless Jared Goff significantly rebounds from his playoff struggles, and the Rams defense finds a way to stifle the Patriots’ methodical offense, Belichick and Brady will once again hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Final Prediction: Patriots 34, Rams 28